Today's Liberal News

11 Readers on How to Solve the Opioid Crisis

This is an edition of Up for Debate, a newsletter by Conor Friedersdorf. On Wednesdays, he rounds up timely conversations and solicits reader responses to one thought-provoking question. Later, he publishes some thoughtful replies. Sign up for the newsletter here.Last week I asked, “What should be done about fentanyl? Has it affected your family or community?”Judy shared a personal tragedy:
My 26-year-old son died of an overdose of heroin doctored with fentanyl.

Justice Is Coming for Donald Trump

“Many secrets, no mysteries”: That is the basic rule of all Donald Trump scandals.There has never been any mystery about what happened on January 6, 2021. As Senator Mitch McConnell said at Trump’s second impeachment trial, “There’s no question—none—that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.

Consider Armadillo COVID

This past spring, Amanda Goldberg crouched in the leafy undergrowth of a southwestern Virginia forest and attempted to swab a mouse for COVID. No luck; its nose was too tiny for her tools. “You never think about nostrils until you start having to swab an animal,” Goldberg, a conservation biologist at Virginia Tech University, told me.

Morocco’s Occupation of Western Sahara Is at Center of Growing European Parliament Bribery Scandal

A corruption scandal involving Qatar and Morocco is rocking the European Union, with authorities in Belgium earlier this month raiding the homes and offices of multiple European Parliament lawmakers for allegedly accepting bribes from the two governments. The raids recovered hundreds of thousands of euros in cash. Among those arrested was European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili, who in the lead-up to the World Cup repeatedly defended Qatar against critics.

Judge Orders Philly DA to Disclose All Evidence in Mumia Abu-Jamal Case. Could It Lead to New Trial?

Supporters of imprisoned journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal are celebrating a decision by a Philadelphia judge on Friday to order the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office to share all of its files on the case with Abu-Jamal’s defense team. Judge Lucretia Clemons gave prosecutors and the defense 60 days to review the files, including many that Abu-Jamal’s team has never seen.

As Title 42 Nears End, El Paso Declares Emergency over Influx of Asylum Seekers

The Democratic mayor of El Paso, Texas, has declared a state of emergency over concerns the city won’t be able to provide shelter and resources to the thousands of asylum seekers arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. This comes as the Biden administration is expected on Wednesday to stop enforcing Title 42, the Trump-era pandemic policy that has been used by the U.S. government to block over 2 million migrants from seeking asylum in the country.

Biden, Like Trump Before Him, Derails Effort to End U.S. Support for Saudi War in Yemen

A new UNICEF report finds that over 11,000 children have been killed or injured in the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led war in Yemen since 2015. A six-month ceasefire between warring parties expired in October. Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders withdrew a Senate resolution Tuesday that would have ended U.S. support for the war, following pressure from the White House. Sanders said he would bring the resolution back if they could not reach an agreement.

A grift. A cover up. And the fallout after MAGA cultists call out Trump’s con

Donald Trump’s ‘major announcement’ Thursday truly exceeded the already exceedingly low expectations.

Trump digital trading cards! Priced to sell at just $99! An exclusive series of ‘really incredible artwork’ (i.e. hilarious parody) depicting, for instance, Trump as a strapping superhero bearing his sculpted chest, as a cowboy brandishing an American flag atop a white horse, and as an aviator-clad astronaut.

Ukraine Update: Bakhmut holds, and that shouldn’t be a surprise

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Yesterday, Mark Sumner noted that over a week of panic over Bakhmut seemed to have culminated, with Ukraine back in control of many of its recently lost positions (including the hilariously mistranslated “wine factory” and the ever-present trash dump.) It is a seemingly dramatic turnaround from last week, when both Russian and Ukrainian telegram were reporting the collapse of entire Ukrainian defensive lines.

Here are the winners of 2022’s Daily Kos Elections prediction contest, sponsored by Green’s Babka!

With Raphael Warnock’s triumphant victory in the Georgia’s Senate runoff election, we can now unveil the winners of the 2022 Daily Kos Elections prediction contest! As you may recall, we asked you to submit your predictions for the winners in 10 Senate, 29 House, and 12 gubernatorial races, as well as six downballot deep cuts ranging from ballot initiatives to judicial elections.

Is the short-term rental bubble really bursting? Should it?

I’ve stayed in my fair share of Airbnbs. I’ve stayed in units where I had the entire space to myself, and I’ve stayed in units where the host was present. I’ve gone for the cheapest option, and I’ve splurged. But at this point, I’d choose a hotel every time. 

Preference counts here, obviously. In my personal view, there is something to be said for privacy.

The Lionel Messi Guide to Living

The literary critic Edward Said coined the phrase late style to describe the final works of a composer or writer—when the decay of the body can’t help but inform artistry, when creativity is infused with the bumps, bruises, and wisdom of a life almost fully lived.  In soccer years, 35 makes the Argentine forward Lionel Messi a veritable geriatric. And this World Cup was his final opus, his version of Beethoven’s last string quartets or Monet’s lily ponds.